Deano353 Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 This is the result of 6 months worth of work. The Airfix 1/24 Hellcat. Quite frankly an incredible kit to build. Considering there's close to 600 parts I had to use absolute minimal filler. The interior is a tight fit so mating surfaces have to be clear of paint or you'll have issues. The entire model is directly oob with no add ons as you honestly don't need any. The fit is really very good. I just wish I had sanded the plastic smooth prior to painting as the grainy surface is visible under the paint. I can tell you I sanded each layer of paint and gave it several gloss coats plus an absolute ton of Tamiya polishing compound from coarse to finish and it's almost mirror like in finish. The reason I went with such a high shine is because of the stressed skin effect and this shows it better. Overall this is easily the best kit I've made and no details were omitted from the box that I could tell. The folded wing is not glued in place as it hides a lot of the plane so it can be removed. So please enjoy the photos. I am going to celebrate this with a cold beer and think about the next project. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. If anyone has any questions about this kit just ask away. I decided to give this a clean finish as the details speak for themselves and I think weathering it might hide the sheer fantastic moulded surfaces of this kit. Overall this is in my opinion better than the Tamiya 1/32 F-16 which I think is so good I've built it twice. I'm not a WW2 enthusiast but as I built this I learned about it and have to say I actually really like this aeroplane. If Airfix decides to do a 1/24 Zero I'll have an opposite number sitting on my shelf as I'll definitely be buying it. The parts which I anticipated difficulty such as the engine were surprisingly easy to assemble and paint. I actually built the engine fully wires and all before painting. Like I said the tolerances on this kit leave ZERO space for adjusting so painting is a step that you need to consider when fitting. Anyway enough of my essay here. Enjoy the photos. Somehow they never look as good as on real life but hey ho. I'm going to grab a cold beer and put my feet up and enjoy my work. Cheers everyone! 72 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 A few extras here which shows the gloss better. 57 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolkerR. Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 That finish is awesome! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 29 minutes ago, VolkerR. said: That finish is awesome! Thanks man I almost got obsessed with buffing the surface lol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberto Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Nice finish...and it's huge! 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petetasker Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Spectacular mate. I’m rather hoping Airfix might see fit to rerelease this soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crobinsonh Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Very nice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Oh my, be still my heart, that's just fabulous! I'm very envious of your build! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 excellent work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 20 minutes ago, petetasker said: Spectacular mate. I’m rather hoping Airfix might see fit to rerelease this soon. Didn't know it was out of production. If they do be sure to smooth the plastic before painting so you've a superb finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petetasker Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Just now, Deano353 said: Didn't know it was out of production. If they do be sure to smooth the plastic before painting so you've a superb finish. I was thinking of a wrecked drone conversion so the finish might be a bit rough to say the least. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeff Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Outstanding! That finish is shinier than my car, and that's saying something! It's a chunk of a kit, and no doubt looks great displayed. I too hope for a re-release .... it's had many good reviews. Keith 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 3 minutes ago, petetasker said: I was thinking of a wrecked drone conversion so the finish might be a bit rough to say the least. Fair enough. To be honest the amount of work required in this is a lot. Although if you're going to do a wrecked drone at least you've the interior details included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 3 minutes ago, Keeff said: Outstanding! That finish is shinier than my car, and that's saying something! It's a chunk of a kit, and no doubt looks great displayed. I too hope for a re-release .... it's had many good reviews. Keith 😁 Yeah a chunk of a kit is right lol. It must weigh close to a kilogram or there abouts. The landing gear is solid though so no worries there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerboy Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 A major project, outstanding finish and a pleasure to look at, Airfix seem to have got these big scale kits bang on, built the Typhoon a few years ago and loved every minute. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 Yes they absolutely did! I'm hoping they decide to make a Zero or perhaps a retool of their Stuka. Man it was a lot of work but worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notty Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 You can be proud of that one, masterpiece and I absolutely love the finish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autle Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 You've made that look many times easier than it seems, a simple gloss finish with decals what can possibly go wrong. Seriously it's brilliant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 That finish is sublime, your effort with the polishing compound has worked wonders. Absolutely stunning! 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 What an awesome model, great work on this beastie, it does look wonderful in the gloss finish showing the stressed panels to perfection. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModelingEdmontonian Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 She's a beast! Lovely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod bettencourt Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 AWESOME looking build! Thanks for sharing. Rod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano353 Posted May 14, 2023 Author Share Posted May 14, 2023 I have a few more photos i forgot to post yesterday. Glad the finish came out so well myself. It's actually too light a shade of blue but I think it works slightly better as the details are more visible. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watto Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 Hope you enjoyed that beer? Your Hellcat is a real stunner, enjoy the rest of your weekend. Watto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tentacles Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 Incredible - that finish is just stunning. It looks really cool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.a15df237fd8d56e4265c64c5f8f26d75.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now